


A Feather of the Finest Crowbird

by HungryLibrary



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Or Is It?, also featuring a tiny funeral, the white rose is one-sided
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-25
Updated: 2014-05-25
Packaged: 2018-01-26 11:16:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1686401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HungryLibrary/pseuds/HungryLibrary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A feather is buried and some feelings are uncovered.</p><p>Or: Ruby starts acting strange and Weiss seems to be the only one worrying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Feather of the Finest Crowbird

“Ruby, what in Remnant are you doing?”

The dolt had spent the past minute and a half staring at her feet when she  _should_  have been getting ready for class.

Now she jolted around at Weiss’s voice, dropping her blazer in the process, and offered up a smile that was altogether far too bright.

“Nothing! Just, you know, thinking…”

“That’s a first for you.” The clock was ticking even as Weiss put the finishing touches on her own uniform, she could be forgiven for being a bit peeved.

“Hurry up or we’ll be late. Our team has enough problems without being reprimanded for tardiness.”

With a squeak Ruby darted off to obey, but not before grabbing her blazer from the floor and quickly scooping something else up as well.

Weiss saw and wondered… They really didn’t have time for more chit chat, though, so her curiosity was filed away for later investigation.

Later turned out to be lunch time, when Ruby (who had somehow been even less attentive than usual in class) grabbed a sandwich at random and excused herself for a walk through the grounds.

A glance at Yang and Blake showed that neither was inclined to followed their leader and pry upon her obvious desire for privacy. Yang watched her go with a furrowed brow, but Nora soon drew into some crazed form of conversation, and Blake barely even bothered looking up from her books. 

That left it to Weiss to discover what was troubling the little red idiot.

Well, it wasn’t as if she did much more during lunch than sit with the others as they finished their heaping plates of food.

It was no great loss really, she told herself while stalking down a path lined with flower beds, merely irritating that she, Weiss Schnee, should have to go chasing after Ruby like an overly concerned nanny.

Not that she was particularly concerned, of course. Simple curiosity was what drove her. Curiosity and a wish that their team not be brought down by the flagging grades of the girl who was, ostentatiously enough, their leader-

Rounding another corner, Weiss almost tripped over the red cloak that lay trailing across the path.

“Oh for goodness sake- Do I even  _want_  to know what you are doing, crouching in those bushes like a child?”

The younger girl shot up with a yelp and a spray of leaves, twigs, and yes, even some  _dirt_.

“Weiss!”

For once Ruby didn’t sound oddly delighted to see her.

“Uh, I was just- I was looking at some flowers!”

“Hmm.” The dirt Weiss brushed off her sleeve was moist and fresh, and though Ruby tried to hide her hands by tucking them behind her back, it was clear that they too were covered in earth.

“I hate to burst your bubble, but flowers are not normally found buried under a foot of soil.”

A conclusion based upon all the evidence presented itself to Weiss, and she sighed to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose to try forestalling a building headache. 

“Please tell me you haven’t been defacing the school gardens by  _digging_  in them?”

Ruby shifted guiltily in place.

“… maybe just a little?”

“Why.” It was all Weiss could say without growling.

She didn’t quiet expect the one word to effect Ruby so strongly. The girl slumped, head bowing, and pulled her hands into the open for Weiss to see.

Both were covered in dirt. One of them was cradling a rather bedraggled looking black feather…

“Remember our landing practice? I- I managed to crash into a bird before I could break my fall.”

Digging in the dirt, quiet and preoccupied during class, quick to flee from the cheerful talk at the team’s shared table-

Strange how a moment’s thought and a simple feather could make a lump rise in Weiss’s throat.

“…Perhaps you only stunned it. Animals are often a good deal more resilient than we give them credit for-“

“I heard its bones crunch, Weiss.”

Ruby’s voice was firm but her eyes wavered as she looked up.

“If getting hit by me didn’t kill it, then the impact from the fall  _definitely_  did. Or at least, I hope it did…”

Silence fell. There didn’t seem much point trying to argue, not when the test was over a week past and neither of them would ever know for certain.

Watching as Ruby’s fingers fiddled with the feather, absentmindedly doing their best to smooth and straighten it, Weiss found herself wishing she  _did_  having something to say. Something, a kind lie or bracing truth that would ease the guilty tightness around Ruby’s eyes, something to turn the corners of her trembling lips back up into a familiar smile…

But despite her promise to be the best teammate Ruby would have, Weiss was still woefully inexperienced at kind words or how to voice them. She would only make a mess of things if she tried.

So she would have to find another way.

With that thought Weiss stepped forward and waded briskly though the bushes.

Ignoring Ruby’s curious gaze, she knelt very carefully upon the dark earth before the shallow hole her partner had already dug.

“How deep do want to make the grave?”

A pause, and then a flash of heat washed through Weiss as Ruby joined her on the ground, the limited space between bushes forcing their knees and shoulders to brush together.

Pale hands busied themselves with scraping away at the tiny grave, their owner acutely aware of the overwhelming gratitude in Ruby’s voice as she answered.

“A half-foot should be fine. It’s just a feather, after all.”

Weiss humph as Ruby’s hands joined hers. The little tingles whenever their fingers met couldn’t quite make up for the disagreeable feeling of dirt being compacted beneath her perfectly filed nails, but it was better than nothing.

“We’ll need some marker stones too, I suppose.”

Ruby bit her lip as she thought on that. A cute little motion that Weiss most certainly did  _not_ memorize for later re-examination.

“Um, the only rocks around here are the ones lining the path…”

“Right then.”

Their hole now being of the proper depth, Weiss stood up and stepped back, retreating from the mixed scents of dark earth and roses and the odd way they made her stomach lurch- what in Remnant was going on with her today-?

“I’ll get the stones if you find some unobtrusive part of the grounds to steal a few flowers from. And don’t take all day in choosing them!” The familiar rhythm of raising her voice while addressing the dolt was amazingly calming.

“Remember we still have to clear ourselves up before afternoon classes, which means we need time, which means no dawdling from you- Ack!”

The warmth and scent of roses came back with a vengeance as Ruby wrapped her in a tight hug.

“ _Thank you._ ” 

Weiss felt her face turn bright pink.

_“Weiss, really. Thanks for not getting mad. Thanks for helping with this.”_

Ruby’s whisper was soft and sighing right past her ear, and the younger girl’s hold was pressing them  _very_ close together, and those facts suddenly seemed extremely important-

“Let go of me you  _dunce!_ ”

It was extremely important that she put some space between them. Now.

With one last squeeze Ruby released her and darted off before Weiss could shove her away.  

“Of all the ridiculous, child-like people- You had better be back in less than two minutes, Ruby Rose! Or so help I will leave you here to finish the job  _alone!_ ”

It was an empty threat, Weiss knew this the moment she heard Ruby’s answering laughter.

She would stay here for as long as it took, if only so she would have the chance to scold her little red fool of partner… and maybe see her smile again. 


End file.
